Microsoft Vista Ads with Seinfeld: What's the Point?

Has Bill Gates left Microsoft or was the whole retirement-PR campaign a strategy to divert attention away from the relentless pounding that it and Vista was receiving in the media, old and new?

Either way, the company has invested in a advertising campaign featuring Jerry Seinfled – the second in the series is here in my ‘Featured Video’ section within my new look site.

I think the strategy discussion went something like this:

MS: OK, so Vista was pretty unfunny. We’re getting a lot of negative publicity – what do you suggest?
Ad Agency: We’ve pulled in our big guns on this one and we recommend making something even more unfunny…
MS: Right, right… like it. Strategy.
Ad Agency: We could a pay a mozza to a well known comic to appear along side Bill. Bill’s involvement would make it authentic.
MS: Yeah, right. And would add to the unfunnyness.
Ad Agency: erm… Yeah.

I have never been a huge Seinfeld fan (I must admit) but I think these ads do very little to demonstrate that MS understands or is in touch with its audience (quite the opposite in fact). They also do a poor job of conveying any meaningful message about the part that MS plays in people’s lives (this is the objective), apart from some throw away motherhood statements.

“Bill, you’ve connected a billion people”

So, what is the point? Perhaps this will build over time? They don’t come close to the Mac vs. MS campaign, which combined stong product messaging with humour and which established affinity with viewers.

MS spent more than $300million on the ad campaign, with $10million of that going to Seinfled. The ad agency is Crispin Porter + Bogusky’s.

Here is what the LA Times had to say.

Microsoft provides more detail about the campaign and the underlying programs (many of which are partner and product focused) here. Its interesting how quickly this explanation gets away from the content of the ads; its concludes with:

In the end, says Veghte, the ideal would be to maintain that level of excitement that users experience when they first purchase a PC, and ensure that it continues through years of use, by helping them find new ways to be creative and productive.

“Windows has always been about putting the power of computing in the hands of people. All of these efforts are designed to reconnect and re-ignite our customers’ imaginations around the value of Windows in their lives today, and the promise of Windows in their lives tomorrow.”

Bill Veghte is the Senior Vice President, Online Services & Windows Business Group

OK, so the ads are designed to re-ignite our imagination around the value of Windows in our lives. I’m still not getting it.